Vent for core drills



July 19, 1932- I H. WELLENSIEK L867,720

VENT FOR CORE DRILLS Filed April 6, 1928 I /NLENTo/e BY A mgm ma ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 17932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS E. WELLENSIEK, HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO HUGHES TOOL COMPANY,

- OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS VENT FOR DRILLS Application led April 6,

My invention relates to core drills for deep well drilling and more particularly to the means for obtaining a vent from the core barrel during drilling operations.

In the use of core drills, particularly in soft formations, it is desirable that the core barrel be arranged so that the ushing fluid used in the drilling operation be kept from washing the core produced by the drill, thus preserving the core, intact and uncontaminated by material foreign to the sample core. The common expedient for this purpose is a valve at the upper end of the core barrel 4which opens upwardly to allow a vent, but which closes against a downward flow. This device is satisactory when the water pressure is not strong, but where the pressure of the flushing fluid is great, as in deep well drilling, the pressure on the upper side of the valve is suilicientfto prevent the opening of the vent.

It is an object of my invention to provide a valve-closed vent of the usual type in core barrels, and in addition thereto a lateral vent from which the fluid pressure is normally balanced, but which will allow escape of fluid from the barrel above the corewhen the core moves upwardly therein.

It is desired to provide Vmeans to wash out 3o the core barrel and the bottom of the well before the core is started, and to therefore close the upper end of the core barrel against the inlet of iuid from above, but at the same time providing :fora vent from the barrel even under excessive fluid pressures from the pumps above. l

It is also an object to provide an automatically operating coupling between the upper end of the core barrel and the -closin device therefor so that the core barrel may eemptied and replaced for operation in a minip mum of time..

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a core drill and a core barrel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

My invention may be employed with any ordinary type of core drill and I have shown 1928. Serial No. 267,839.

it as used with a core drill having a head 1, of tubular construction, with a detachable point 2, thereon, said point having cutting teeth 3, at the forward end. At its extreme upper end the head has a threaded socket 4, to engage with the lower shank of a drill collar 5. A second interior socket below the upper end is threaded to receive the lower shank 6, of a core barrel 7 said shank being welded to said barrel at 8. The space 9, between the barrel 7 and the drill collar allows the liow of flushing Huid to longitudinal channels 10 in the head and 11 in the point 2, so that the cuttingsl may be washed away from in front ofthe drill.

Above the drill collar is a connecting pipe or nipple 13, spaced outside the core barrel and engaging at its upper endl with a valve head 12.

The core barrel 7 is threaded at its upper end to receive a. coupling member including a bushing 14, cylindrical on its outer sur face except for longitudinal spacing ribs 15 welded thereon, as shown iu Fig. 3. The interior of said bushing has a seat 16 tapered downwardly to receive tapered packing elements 17 and 18, adapted to engage about a tube 19, fit/ting slidably therein. The acking elements are held in the seat 16 lby a sleeve 20 fitting slidably upon the tube 19 and held resiliently downwardly by the spring 21 which has a bearing at its upper end against a collar 22, held in adjustable position upon the tube by a set screw 23. A collar 32, at the lower end of the tube retains the packing thereon.

The valve head 12 has a tapered valve `chamber 24 at its upper end and a cylindrical chamber 25 extends downwardly in said coupling to a second valve seat 26 to receive a small ball valve 27 closing the passage 28 below, into which the tube 19 is connected. From the chamber 25 is a lateral opening 29I leading to the outside of the head. There are a series of vertical passages 30, connecting the upper valve chamber 24 with the upper end of the pipe 13. Said passagesare spaced from the central seat in which the valve 31 may it.

InA the operation of my invention, the device is assembled with the core drill and core barrel connected with the bushing 14 at the upper end of the barrel ready to receive the connecting tube 19 and the packing assembly. The valve head l2 with the said assembly thereon and the nipple 13 and collar 5 are telescoped over the barrel 7 and the connection made with the drill head at 4. As this is done the tube 19 and packing engage through the bushing 14, automatically making a tight seal therewith. The collar 32 at the lower end of the tube serves to retain the packing elements in place while the tube is removed from the bushing.

When the connect-ion is thus made the device may be inserted into the well in the usual manner for drilling. When the bottom of the well is reached the iiushing Huid may be pumped through the passages 30 and, as the valves 27 and 31 are not in place, the water will discharge also through the core barrel and clean out the barrel and the bottom of the hole. When the hole is clean, the pump will be stopped and valves 27 and 31 will be dropped in succession from the top of the drill stem into their seats. The device is then ready for drilling and, as the sample core 33 gradually works up into the core barrel the fluid above the core will find a vent past the valve 27 and out the opening 29 to the well bore. The valve 31 will prevent the heavy force of the flushing fluid from affecting the valve 27 so that there will be little resistance to the outlet of fluid from the core barrel.

The valve 27, will, however, prevent liquid from without the drill from entering the core barrel. Thus, when the drill becomes clogged with material it may fill the hole, acting as a piston therein, so that when it is Vraised in the hole it may exert pressure on the fluid outside the drill, tending to force some of said uid into the core barrel. This effect will be prevented however, by the valve 27.

This device will obviously be capable of easy assembly and handling. When a core has been obtained, the core drill with the barrel thereon may be removed from the nipple and valve head by releasing the coarse threaded connection at 4 and then the disconnection with the tube 19 and packing 17 and 18 will be automatically accomplished by a direct pull. The advantages of such a construction will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A core. barrel, a bushing at the upper end thereof having a downwardly and inwardly tapered seat therein, ahead above said bushing having a vertical passage therethrough, a tube connected in said passage and projecting into the upper end of said core barrel, packing in said seat about said tube, upper and lower valves in said passage and a vent from said passage between said valves.

2. A core barrel, a bushing at the upper end thereof having a downwardly and inwardly tapered seat therein, a head above said bushing having a vertical passage therethrough, a tube connected in said passage and projecting into the upper end of said core barrel, packing in said seat about said tube, means to hold said packing resiliently downwardly on said tube within said seat, upper and lower valves in said passage and a vent from said passage between said valves.

3. In a core drill, a drill, a nipple connected therewith, a core barrel on said drill within said nipple, a head on the upper end of said nipple, said head having an axial passage therethrough, a tube in said passage, an automatic fluid seal between said tube and said core barrel, a valve at the upper end of said passage, and a lateral vent from said passage below said valve.

4. In a core drill, a drill, a nipple connected therewith, a core barrel on said drill within said nipple, a head on the upper end of said nipple, said head having an axial passage therethrough, a tube in said passage, an automatic fluid seal between said tube and said core barrel, upper and lower valves in said passage, said head having an opening from between said valves to the outside of said head.

5. In a core drill, a drill, a nipple connected therewith, a core barrel on said drill within said nipple, a head on the upper end of said nipple, said head having an axial passage therethrough, a tube in said passage, an automatic fluid seal between said tube and said core barrel, a valve at the upper end of said passage, and a lateral vent from said passage below said valve, and means to prevent the inlet of fluid from outside said head to said core barrel.

6. In a core barrel, a bushing at the upper end thereof having a downwardly and inwardly tapered seat therein, a tube projecting into said barrel through said bushing, means to support. said tube above said barrel, tapered packing elements on said tube adapted toit within said seat and means to hold sa1d packing resiliently downwardly within said seat.

n In testimony whereof I hereunto ailix my signature this 28th day of March, A. D. 1928.

LOUIS H. WELLENSIEK. 

